Rejecting Walmart Strategy, Trader Joe’s Pays Employees A Living Wage And Wins

[centrehice]

Canada should have the 2nd lowest gasoline prices on the planet, but they don't. If anything is a failure of Government, that is. I've always stuck up for Canada and gone to bat for my country, but this is one point where I will not even give them the slightest nod.

It's one thing to sell 19% of all the USA's petroleum needs, that is business, and I am a business man, however when your own residents are paying twice the price as what is exported, then that is a government greed problem.

I just heard yesterday that the price of Gasoline in New Brunswick this week is about $2.20 per litre. Combine that with 2 more taxes, and you are at above the $9.00 level for an Imperial Gallon of gas. $9.30 per Imperial Gallon which is 1.2 US Gallons.

Criminal !!

[Wickabee]

Is gas high like that all over the east, or is NB an anomoly? That's ridiculous.
I will say though I didn't drive when I was in Calgary, gas was CHEAP. AB is doing something right there.

[duane1969]

I am not sure how my area compares to yours, but just off the top of my head (went grocery shopping with the wife 2 days ago LOL)...

A 20 oz. bottle of soda at a convenience store is $1.09 - $1.39 depending on the brand.
A loaf of bread runs right at $2.59
A gallon of milk is around $3.59

My son is in college and thus is renting in a college town (so a little pricier than non-college towns in our area). He is in a 2 bedroom apartment with all utilities included (electric, gas, water, sewage and trash) for $525 a month.

My house is 3000 square feet with 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and sits on 1.5 acres of property. It has an assessed value of around $240k, but I live outside of city limits. My house in city limits would be closer to $300k.

[centrehice]

Is gas high like that all over the east, or is NB an anomoly? That's ridiculous.
I will say though I didn't drive when I was in Calgary, gas was CHEAP. AB is doing something right there.

New Brunswick has and will continue to be a disenfranchised Province. The place just does not have anything going for it. I'm sure they have the highest gasoline prices in Canada. I don't know the truth to this news I heard, but I would not be surprised. I have not been back to Canada since 2003, so if I cannot find information on the Globe and Mail website then it's a bit of a struggle for me, as living in the USA is like living in a long dark tunnel with a closed door. Light is only let in for one hour in 24.

The folks I just talked to were dual Citizens USA/Canada who had just returned from the Maritimes, and they quoted high-end gas prices in New Brunswick. They also said NS was much cheaper for gas.

New Brunswick continues to be treated like the Western Provinces were under Pearson and Trudeau, weak step-children. Now that Ottawa realizes that the West has all the resources, they are marching to a different tune.

The old early 70's bumper sticker "Let those Eastern Bastrads Freeze In the Dark" has never been more appropriate.

[Wickabee]

Here:
Pop (soda, I guess) $0.89-$1.99 depending on brand
I can get a loaf of bread almost anywhere for $1
Milk is $4.59 if memory serves

Housing is CHEAP for your kid. Was paying $800 for 400sqft and that was dirt cheap here. I'm now in a mobile that hovers around $100,000-$110,000 for tax purposes. Sale I'd probably get 85-90 grand for it. Remember though, I live in one of the most expensive spots in Canada and the cost of living here is higher than most of the province as well.

So yeah, youre right. For the record I was in Alberta making $6.25/hr and doing okay with a couple roommates.

[mrveggieman]

I live in the Atlanta, GA area and I have been for the most part blessed to find jobs that pay almost a liveable wage and to find affordable housing. Here in Dekalb County you can find a decent apartment in the $500 range plus electric (not section 8 either) which IMO isn't bad at all. Depending on your skill set if you get a job paying a decent wage and budget your money right you can live pretty well down here.

[duane1969]

A loaf of bread is $1? I wonder if our loaf and your load are the same? I guess the availability of grain could be a factor as well.

As for rent. Before we bought our home we were living right on the edge of town and were paying $1000 a month for a 1700 square foot 4 bedroom, 2 bath house with a 2 car garage that sat on a 2 acre lot, and that was one of the nicer homes available for rent in the area. So yeah, rent is considerably cheaper here.

[Wickabee]

One thing I've always noticed about the US is I could afford to be an alcoholic down there. Your liquor (and cigarettes) is insanely cheap down there.
Housing is a bit of an anomoly here. While the housing market crashed throughout North America, it wasn't really noticed much here. Other than that most of the expensiveness here is in taxable products, gas being the best example.

As for bread, that is grocery store bakery bread. If I were to buy wonder bread or something, it'd be more I'm sure.

[mrveggieman]

One thing I've always noticed about the US is I could afford to be an alcoholic down there. Your liquor (and cigarettes) is insanely cheap down there. That is not a coincidence. They want us to be a nation of drunks, druggies and chain smokers to distract us from how bad we are getting screwed over.
Housing is a bit of an anomoly here. While the housing market crashed throughout North America, it wasn't really noticed much here. Other than that most of the expensiveness here is in taxable products, gas being the best example.





As for bread, that is grocery store bakery bread. If I were to buy wonder bread or something, it'd be more I'm sure. I love bread so I need to come up there.

responses in bold

[centrehice]

The reason the housing market crashed was due to unsustainable mortgages. Dubya promised everyone a house of their own, even if they did not have a down payment.

Bankers and Mortgage brokers took this to be gospel, and abba-cadabbra Bob's Your Uncle, people with 50 dollars down on a $300K house were getting Mortgages.

In Canada, if you don't have 20% down, no Mortgage for you. Also in the USA you have levels of Shysterism - Loan companies, mortgage negotiators that are not banks, etc. You have to fight through middle men to get anything done, including the final loan passing again from source through another middle man until payment.